Clothesline-prop



C. C. COLKITT.

CLOTHESLINE PROF.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1. 1919.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

UNTED STAIES PATENT OFFQ CHARLIE C. COLKITT, OF PU1IXSUTAWNEY, PENNSYLVNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 OLKIT'L &

BLEICH MANUFACTURNG COMIANY REGISTERED, DE PUNXSUTWNE, PENNSYL- VANIA, A LIMIIED COPARTNERS-IP.

CLOTHESLINE-PROP.

Specfication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mai. 2, 1920.

Application filed February 1, 1919. Serial No. 274,441.

0 all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLIE C. COLKITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Punxsutawney, county of J efierson, and State of Pennsylvania, have inventecl certain new and useful Improvements in Clothesline-Props, of which the :following is a specification.

My invention relates to clothes props, that is, to deviccs to be placed under a clothes lino to support the same When in use.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned which Will effectually prevent swaying of the line in the wind Which frequently results in breaking of the line. A urther object of my invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned which, when not in use, may be folded into compact form to occnpy a minimum amount of space. A further object of my invention is to provide a device as mentioned equipped with improved means for holding the same in extended position. A urther object of my invention is to provide a device as mentioned which shall be of simple construction, easy to operate, and which shall not readily get out o:l order. Other objects Will appear hereinatter.

With these objects in vieW, my invention consists generally in a clothes prop comprising a pair of pivotally connected legs, a cross bar pivotally connected to one of said legs, a spring catch for securing the other and of the leg to the opposite leg when the latter is in extended position, and a vertically adjustable arm provided with means for engaging the clothes lime. My invention further consists in a devioe as set forth in which the legs are pivotally conncted lov a pair of metal straps, one upon each side of the legs, and one of the straps shaped to form an eye through Which the vertical arm is freely slidable, a similar eye on the cross bar to receive the lower end of the arm, and means for adjustably securing the a rm in position. My invention further cons1sts in a devioe as mentioned of such construction that the legs Will fold closely together, edge to edge, the extensible arm shall fold against the sides of the legs, and the cross bar in the angnlar recess between one edge of the cross bar and the adjacent face of one of the legs. M invention urther consists in various details of constructions and arrangements of parts all as Will be fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clothes prop embodying my invention, illustrating the same in extended position.

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation illustrating the opposite side of the device, the upper portions of the arm and the lower portions o:E the legs being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 4: is an elevation of the devioe in folded position.

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating the opposite side from that shoWn in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 66 of Fig. 5, upon an enlarged soale, and

Figs. 7 and 8 are details of the latch for securing the cross bar to one of the legs.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 and 2 indicate the legs of the device which are pivotally connected at their upper ends by metal straps 3 and 1 arranged upon opposite sides thereof. The strap 3 is preferably a straight piece of. metal, whereas the strap 1 is bent to form a rectangular eye 5 for a purpose hereinafter described. These straps are secured to the legs a short distance from the upper ends thereof and the portions of the legs above said straps are beveled, as indicated at 6, to form shoulders Which abnt when the device is in extended position, as shownclearly in Fig. 2. The lower ends of the legs are pointed. as at 7, to fimnly engage the ground. Pivotally connected, at 8, to the leg 2 is a cross bar or brace 9, the free end of which is adapted to engage a spring latch 10 on the leg 1 when the device is in extended position. It should be noted that the pivot 8 is arranged adjacent the upper edge of the bar 9 and adjacent the outer edge of the leg 2 for a purpose hercinafter explained. The latch 10 is formed of a strip of spring metal bent to form an et taching base 11 bent outwardly and upwardly forming a socket 12 to receive the brace bar, thon slightly inward, as at 13, to engage the upper edge of. the same to hold it in position, and then curved outwardly, as at 14, to facilitate the passage of the end of the bar between the same and the le 1 into the socket 12. The bar 9 is preferbly provided with a notch 15 in its lower edge to engage the outwardly extending portion of the socket 12. It is evident that by this construction the brace bar may be roadily slipped in position and automatically locked. The outer face of the bracc bar 9, adjacent its upper edge, is provided with an eye 16 formed of a metal strap, similar to the eye 5. l

Slidably mounted through the eye 5 is an upwardly extending arm 17 which is provided at its upper end With line-engaging means 18, Which is preferably in the form of a coiled spring wire, as illustrated in the several figures of the drawings. VVhen the deVice is in extended position, the loWer end of the arm 17 is positioned in the eye 16 on the brace bar 9, the two spaced eyes 5 and 16 thereby firmly holding the same in position. The arm is provided with a plurality of apertures 19 adapted to receive a pin 20 Which rests upon the upper edge of the bar 9 and eye 16 and by means of Which the arm may be adjusted to the desired height.

To fold the deVice, the arm is raised out of the eye 16, the brace 9 disengaged from the spring 10 and swung downwardly, the legs folded together and the arm slid downwardly into the position shown in F igs. 4: and 5. By positioning the pivot 8 of the arm 9 as above described said arm will fit snugly in the angular recess formed between one edge of the arm 17 and the adjacent face of the leg 2, as shown clearly in Fig. 5. It

Will be noted that with the construction above mentioned the device will fold into compact form to occupy a minimum amount of space.

I -claim:

1. A clothes prop comprising a pair of legs pivotally connected at their upper ends, a brace bar pivotally connected to one of said legs, means for detachably connecting the free end of the brace to the opposite leg, an eye at the upper and of said legs, a similar eye on said 'b-race, an arm slidably mounted in said eyes and provided at its upper end with line-engaging means, and means for supporting said arm in adjusted position, substantially as described.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in Which the pivotal connection between the brace and the leg is arranged adjacent the upper edge of the brace and the outer edge of the leg to facilitate compact folding of the device, substantially as described.

3. A device as set forth in daim 1 f'nrther characterized by a spring catch on one of the legs adapted to receive the free end of the brace, there being a notch in the brace to receive a portion of said spring catch and means on said catch to hold the notched por tion of the brace in engagement with the catch, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signcd my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses;

CHARLIE C. COLKITT.

Witnesscs:

C. E. PALMER, F. R. CHAMBERS. 

